Begisteb fob omnibuses and fob otheb pubposes



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEErcE. i

J. Z. A. WAGNER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

REGISTER FOR OMNIBUSES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, J. Z. A. VAGNER, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful improvement in registering-steps for the entrance to omnibuses,toll-bridges, and other places where passengers pay graduated tolls, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and Iexact description, referencebeing made to the accompanying drawings of the same, which form part ofthis specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a view in perspective ofmy improved step with its register; and Fig. 2 is a vertical section ofthe same at the line a: as' of Fig. l.

The object of my invention is to reduce to the denomination of fulltolls and register the aggregate number of mixed, full and fractionaltolls to which a promiscuous number of adult passengers and childrenliable to tolls graduated according to their respective weights, aresubject on entering any toll passage, as a bridge, toll gate, omnibus,etc. And itconsists in mounting a step where passengers must tread uponit, on springs yielding levers, or other equivalent contrivance, andconnecting it with a registering mechanism in such manner that allpassengers of less than a given weight, and who are only required to payfractional tolls, will depress t-he step a fractional part only of itsrange of motion, and register this movement, while all above this weightwill depress the step a proportionately greater distance, and make a.corresponding registry.

In the accompanying drawings, the step (A) is represented as beingplaced across the entrance to an omnibus, in a recess which allows it toslide up and down freely, so that when no one is standing on it, it willprotrude about half an inch more or less above the floor. Beneath thestep, spiral springs (B) are placed which constantly tend to force itupward. These springs stand beneath the step, in a case (C) whichcontains the registering mechanism. F rom one end of the step a pawl (e)depends which takes into the teeth of a ratchet wheel D on the side ofthe case, so that when the step is depressed to a level or thereaboutwith the floor by a full toll passenger, the pawl will be depressed farenough to turn the ratchet wheel two teeth or notches; but when the stepis only depressed about half way down to the floor by a half tollpassen- 9,289, dated september 2s, 1852'.

ger the pawl will only be depressed far enough to turn the ratchet wheelone tooth. Children not subject to toll will not depress the step farenough to turn the ratchet wheel at all, and as the step rests on thefloor when depressed down on a level with it, a person however heavywill only depress the wheel two teeth or notches, so that by neither eX-cess nor deficiency is there any likelihood of an erroneous accountbeing kept by the register.

The ratchet wheel is mounted on an arbor F one end of which protrudesthrough the side of the case and is squared to admit a key by which itcan be turned to be set by the perso-n having it in charge, at thenaught point, every morning, or at any other period that the registry ofthe number of passengers is transferred to a-book kept for the purpose.The ratchet wheel has 14:4 teeth, and on the same arbor with it, apinion (Gr) is mounted having one tooth which takes into a wheel (H)having 36 teeth, and at each revolution turns the latter one tooth; sothat the turning of the wheel H one tooth or point, denotes the turningof the wheel D one hundred and forty four points or teeth. The ratchetwheel is prevented from turning backward when the pawl (e) is raised, bya spring stop (i) whose front extremity drops behind the teeth as theypass, and whose opposite extremity is attached to the side of the case.The wheel H is prevented from turning or changing its position by jarsor shocks by a spring brake (j) attached to the side of the case at oneextremity and at the other pressing-upon the wheel.

The wheels D and H have their sides, adjacent to the case, graduated andnumbered into as many equal parts as they respectively have teeth; andan opening opposite each wheel as seen in Fig. l is made in the side ofthe case for the purpose of seeing the numbers which they haveregistered. Each of these openings is provided with an index finger orpointer L to facilitate the reading-off of the number of passengers whohave walked over the step.

To illustrate the mann-er of reading oil', we will suppose that thewheel D indicates 24 and the wheel H indicates 5; now as the wheel Dcounts one full toll passenger for every two notches or points, it showsthat 2l-z2=12 passengers have passed; and as the wheel H counts for eachnotch or point 144+2=72 full-toll passengers; the number 5 on itindicates 72 5=360 passengers, which added to the 12 denoted by theother wheel amounting in all to 372, the number of full toll passengersthat have walked upon the step since the wheels were set at the naughtpoint.

The notation and graduation of the wheels, the number of their teeth,and the whole combination and arrangement of parts, it is obvious may bevariously modified to suit di'erent circumstances, without in the leastdeparting from the principle of the invention. As one example of such achange, quarter, half, three-quarter and full tolls may be charged, thelirst for weights within given limits which will depress the step so asto turn the ratchet wheel one tooth; the second for weights exceedingthe limit of the former, not more than a given amount, which willdepress the step far enough toI turn the ratchet wheel two teeth;

the third weight exceeding the second by not more than a given amount,will depress the step to turn the wheel three teeth; and the;

fourth or full weight will depress the step to turn the wheel fourteeth.

The joint between the sides of the step and the iioor, may be covered tokeep out dust etc. which might obstruct its action, by leather, indiarubber, or other substance which lies loose enough to permit the step toraise and lower freely. A board may likewise be set up in frontof theregistering step, ,so that passers can not conveniently overstep thelatter, which tends to keep the registry correct. Where every passengergoes and returns for one toll as is the case in an omnibus, thegraduation and notation of the index plates of the wheels, must be madeto correspond, by indicating only half as much as if pay was requiredboth on entering and coming out of the omnibus.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

Fitting toll passages with a registering step, combined with mechanismin such inanner that the aggregate number of full and fractional tollsdue from passengers will be reduced to the denomination of full tolls,and registered, whatever the proportions may be in which the aggregateis composed of fractional and full tolls, substantially as herein setforth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

J. Z. A. WAGNER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES D. FREEMAN, ROBERT W. JONES.

